At last! Scientists zeroing in on ear wax gene.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - While studying Japanese families with a rare movement disorder,
researchers have discovered a region of DNA that may contain the gene for ear wax.

A discovery of the ear wax gene could help shed light on the function of apocrine glands, fluid-secreting
cells found throughout the body, and may even have implications for breast cancer (news - web sites).
Some studies have found the women with a certain type of ear wax are at greater risk of developing
breast cancer than those with another type.

Ear wax, or cerumen as it is know scientifically, is produced by hair follicles and glands that line the ear
canal and protects the ear by trapping dust, microorganisms and foreign particles, and prevents them from
entering and damaging the ear. There are two types of ear wax--"wet" and "dry." Most whites and blacks
in the US have the wet type, which is more brown, sticky and wet, while Asians and Native Americans
tend to produce the dry type, that tends to be brittle and tan or gray.

According to a report in the June 8th issue of the medical journal The Lancet, Dr. Hiroaki Tomita of
Nagasaki University School of Medicine in Japan and colleagues got a stroke of luck when they came
across a Japanese woman with a neurological condition who also had wet ear wax, an unusual type for a
person of Asian descent.

Six other members of the woman's family also had the neurological condition--known as paroxysmal
kinesigenic choreoathetosis--as well as wet ear wax. In paroxysmal kinesigenic choreoathetosis, a patient
experiences uncontrollable twisting movements of the limbs in response to sudden voluntary motion.

The researchers then obtained DNA samples from eight Japanese families, 92 people in all, and searched
a region of chromosome 16, where the gene for the neurological disorder was known to be located. They
looked at 11 different segments of the gene, and narrowed down the location for the gene to one
particular portion.

"Identification of the ear wax (gene) could contribute to further (human development) studies and to
physiological and pathological understanding of the apocrine-gland development," Tomita and colleagues
conclude. Tomita is currently at the University of California-Irvine.

Answers

There are two types of ear wax--"wet" and "dry." Most whites and
blacks in the US have the
wet type, which is more brown, sticky and wet, while Asians and
Native Americans tend to produce the dry type,
that tends to be brittle and tan or gray.

Humans may be 99.8% DNA-identical (or whatever) but it is the .2% that
makes things interesting. Vive la diffence!

Earwax is something to be
thankful for. The wax, or
cerumen, coats your ear
canal and traps dust and
debris before they can
reach your eardrum.
Earwax will usually become
flaky and fall out of your ear
on its own. Occasionally it
will build up, however,
interfering with your
hearing and making your
ear look quite unpleasant.
You may wish to purchase
ear drops or mineral oil to
break up and wash out the
earwax. If this is ineffective,
a doctor can remove it for
you.

Ear Hygiene

Earwax is something to be
thankful for. The wax, or
cerumen, coats your ear
canal and traps dust and
debris before they can
reach your eardrum.
Earwax will usually become
flaky and fall out of your ear
on its own. Occasionally it
will build up, however,
interfering with your
hearing and making your
ear look quite unpleasant.
You may wish to purchase
ear drops or mineral oil to
break up and wash out the
earwax. If this is ineffective,
a doctor can remove it for
you.